Stay with Me
by mag721
Summary: The four times Noah Puckerman asked Rachel Berry to stay and the one time she asked him . Puckleberry goodness! :
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Yes, I know I should be updating Long Time Coming... For those of you who are LTC readers of mine, I have an explanation as to why there has been a lack of updates on my profile. Thanks! **

**Now for this story...This will be a five-part story. As you can tell from the title (and its subtitle), the plot is fairly self-explanatory. lol Please R&R! I appreciate any kind of feedback! :o) Thanks! p.s. I own nothing _Glee_-related ('tis a shame really)...**

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Stay with Me  
(or The Four Times Noah Puckerman Asked Rachel Berry to Stay and the One Time She Asked Him)**_

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Stay just a little bit longer_  
_Till I'm a little bit stronger to take all this _  
_Stay just a little more time _  
_Till I can find a way_  
_Please stay_"_**  
"Stay" ~ Little Big Town**_

It was the summer of 2002, and eight-year-old Noah Puckerman wanted to invite some neighborhood kids to come over to his house. He was so excited because his mom and dad were out of town, and his old Aunt Maria had come over to watch him. He liked when his aunt was his sitter, because she wouldn't make him eat his vegetables and she'd go to bed early and then Noah could watch whatever he wanted to on television. She said since she never had kids of her own, she liked to spoil Noah. He didn't care what the reason was; he just knew she was way cooler than any of his friends' aunts or babysitters.

So somehow, he'd convinced her to let him have some friends over. The idea had come to him when he saw Matt playing in his front yard down the street in the cul-de-sac. He knew Finn was also at home, so he would probably be able to come over too. Finn's mom just loved Noah; he always pulled out the charm when she was around. Plus, Finn didn't have a dad, so Noah was glad to share his with his friend. True, Puck's dad wasn't around as much anymore, which was something Noah didn't understand, but he still took Noah and Finn fishing at least one Saturday a month. So, it made up for all the times he was gone.

Aunt Maria was more than happy to allow Noah to have friends over. "Who have you asked over, Noah?" she asked.

"Matt and Finn are coming. They live on our street," Noah said, jumping up and down excitedly. "And Artie said he could maybe come over; he lives on the next street over."

"What about that nice girl over there who is waving at you?" Aunt Maria motioned to the tiny brunette dancing ballet in her driveway across the street. "Have you asked her yet?"

Noah groaned inwardly. He didn't want to ask crazy Rachel Berry over to his mini-party. First, she was a girl, and girls had cooties. Some girls were all right, Noah had to admit, but not Rachel Berry. She was always singing and using really big words and claiming she was going to be a star. Noah didn't understand why anyone would want be a bright thing in the sky, but whatever, he usually just rolled his eyes and ignored her.

"Aw, Aunt Maria, do I have to?" Noah whined. "Rachel is kind of weird."

"Noah Puckerman!" Aunt Maria reprimanded. "You will not talk that way about other people. I'm sure she's a nice girl. Now go over there and ask her to join you and your friends tonight or no one will be allowed over."

"Yes ma'am," he agreed sullenly.

Noah crossed the road quickly and planted himself in Rachel Berry's driveway. He shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked a rock with his foot as Rachel bounced up to him.

"Hello, Noah!" she exclaimed. "How are you on this beautiful afternoon?"

"Fine, I guess," Noah answered. "You?"

"Oh, I'm doing well. Thank you for inquiring," Rachel smiled. "I had a dance class this morning; I'm practicing my jetés. Would you like to see?"

"Um, no thanks," Noah mumbled. "I was wondering if you wanted to come over to my house tonight. Finn, Matt, and probably Artie will be there. We are gonna play video games and watch movies and eat pizza."

Rachel considered his request. Noah was a nice boy, but he was really quiet. He had never asked her to come over and play before. Usually, he ignored her at school and only waved half-heartedly whenever she saw him in his yard. Still, she did not have many friends. Playing with Noah and his friends could be fun.

"That sounds like an enjoyable venture, Noah. I would be delighted to attend," Rachel said graciously, flashing him a wide smile.

"Is that a yes?" Noah asked.

Rachel giggled, "Yes, Noah. What time shall I come over?"

"Uh, I guess in, like, an hour," Noah said before turning around to head back to his house without waiting for a response from Rachel.

An hour later, Matt, Finn, Artie, and Noah were sitting on the homemade pallets of blankets and bed comforters. The doorbell rang, and Noah sighed. Rachel had decided to show up. Aunt Maria headed to the door, and Rachel smiled sweetly.

"Hello, my name is Rachel Berry," she introduced herself. "I brought cookies," she said, gently setting the plate of star-shaped cookies in Aunt Maria's hands before gingerly stepping inside the doorway.

"It's nice to meet you, Rachel. I'm Maria, Noah's aunt," she replied. "The boys are in the living room. The pizza should be here any minute."

"Thank you," Rachel smiled. She headed into the room where the boys were; they were enthralled in a video game that was far too violent for Rachel's liking. Still, it was none of her business what questionable images boys filled their minds with these days.

"Hi, Rachel!" Finn was the first to notice she had entered the room.

Rachel smiled. Finn was such a nice boy. He was always kind to her, and he had this cute space between his teeth that Rachel found adorable.

"Hello, Finn," she replied. "What are you playing?"

"Oh just some shoot-'em-up game," he said flippantly. "Wanna try?"

"No, thanks," she said timidly.

She looked around the room. Matt and Artie waved to her kindly, and Noah gave her a crooked half-smile. She smiled at the boys, knowing it would be a fun evening.

A few more hours later, it was growing dark, and the children were stuffed from the pizza and Rachel's cookies. Aunt Maria went to bed, but not before telling the guests they could stay the night if they wanted. Since all but Rachel had told their parents beforehand that they'd probably be staying overnight, they just smiled and thanked Aunt Maria politely.

"I will probably just leave after the movie is complete," Rachel offered.

Noah simply shrugged. She could do whatever she wanted to; he wasn't going to stop her.

"What movie are we gonna watch?" Matt asked.

"Something scary!" Finn exclaimed.

Noah smirked, "I don't think that's a good idea. You _know _you always get scared, Finn."

"Ooohhh," the other boys chorused, making Finn blush.

"It's perfectly normal to be afraid, Finn," Rachel soothed.

"Thanks, Rachel," he smiled.

Noah rolled his eyes at the silly grin that Finn and Rachel shared so he lobbed a pillow at Hudson's head. The pillow slapped Finn on the side of the face, breaking him out of his puppy dog eyes trance. Everyone, even Rachel, chuckled at the disgusted look on his face.

"Hey!" Finn protested. "What was that for?"

"Just pick a movie, stupid!" Noah smirked, stealing a glance at Rachel, who was shaking her head but smiling at the boys' actions. He caught her eye, and she smiled at him, which made him grin and feel kinda warm and happy. Huh. Weird. Shaking off the feeling, he went to the entertainment center where his dad kept all the movies.

"Are you sure we have to watch a scary movie?" Rachel questioned. "Perhaps we could compromise..."

"Why, Rachel, you're not a scaredy cat too, are you?" Noah teased lightly.

Rachel's cheeks tinged red. "No, I'm not," she said quietly but definitively.

"It's okay, Rach, if you're scared, I'll protect you," Matt grinned, flexing his nonexistent muscles.

Rachel giggled at that and bounced over to sit on the couch next to Matt. Noah's eyes narrowed at that, and after Finn handed him the worn copy of _The Exorcist_, he quickly put the movie in so he could take the spot on the other side of Rachel. He didn't know why he cared who Rachel sat by. After all, she was just a silly girl with silly girl cooties.

"What is this movie about, Noah?" Rachel asked curiously.

Noah shrugged. He really didn't know anything about it other than that his mom wouldn't let him watch it yet. Oh well. What Mom doesn't know won't hurt her. "No clue. Maybe they get lost in a gym or something," he said carelessly.

"A gym?" Artie echoed.

"Yeah, it's called _The Exorcist_. It's probably about working out or something," Noah concluded.

The others simply nodded in understanding. What Noah had said made perfect sense. He was probably right.

Turns out, he was wrong. Very wrong.

From the first moment the little girl has her first seizure, the boys were scared senseless, yet too transfixed to turn the movie off. Artie and Finn watched most of the movie through their fingers that covered their faces, and Matt's eyes kept darting around the room rather than focusing on the screen. Noah was scared too, but he wasn't about to show it. He did flinch a few times, like when that girl's head started to spin. He glanced over at Rachel a few times, but every time, she was calmly watching the story unfold before her wide eyes. She didn't look scared, but Noah figured she probably was but didn't want to be made fun of. By the time the movie ended, Finn was under the blanket and not even watching anymore. The other boys looked at each other in silence.

"Wow," Matt whispered. "That was-"

"The scariest thing I've ever seen!" Artie cried out.

"I don't know how I'm supposed to sleep after that," Finn whined, slowly getting out from under the covers.

"Well, I'm not," Matt said. "I'm outta here!" And with that, he scrambled for the door, Artie and Finn hot on his heels.

"You guys just can't leave!" Noah almost shouted before remembering his aunt was asleep. He was scared to go to sleep too, and he was hoping they all would stay. He crossed his arms stubbornly, because he wasn't about to tell them that. "That's just dumb."

"Noah, I'm not afraid to admit that I'm scared," Artie explained from the doorway. "I want to sleep in my own bed tonight."

"Fine!" Noah called out the door as the three boys scattered in Noah's front yard and headed to their separate houses. "You guys are wusses!" He turned to Rachel, who was still quietly watching the exchange. "That's what my dad calls scaredy cats," he explained to her. She gave him a small smile as she reached out her hand and patted his shoulder.

"It's okay, Noah," she cooed softly. "It _was _a scary movie."

"I'm not scared," Noah said defiantly, putting on his tough face before he turned to face Rachel. "You don't seem scared either," he pointed out.

"I am," Rachel assured him, "but I know it is just pretend."

Noah shifted his weight uncomfortably on the balls of his feet at her words. She was right, but that didn't mean he wasn't still scared.

"I better go too," she said quietly.

"No!" he exclaimed a little too loudly. She turned quickly, and he stuttered to continue. "I mean, you don't have to leave. You know, if you don't want to." He shrugged noncommittally. "If you're scared and all, you could, um, maybe...stay?" he finished hopefully.

Rachel stared at the sweet boy in front of her. He always tried so hard to show off a rough exterior, but she could see through his façade: Noah Puckerman was afraid. She gave him another smile as she reached out her hand to clasp his. "Sure, Noah. I can stay. If you want me to," she said.

Noah sighed audibly. He wouldn't have to be alone tonight, even if it was Rachel who was staying with him. At least she wouldn't make fun of him for being scared. "Good," he breathed. "I mean, that's cool," he said apathetically.

He moved to the TV to put the movie away, and Rachel cleaned up the dishes and took them to the kitchen. Her fathers knew where she was, so she didn't bother to wake them this late at night. She walked back into the living room to find Noah fixing up the couch with pillows and blankets.

"You can sleep on the couch, and I'll sleep on the floor," he offered.

"Thank you," she said quietly.

They curled up under their respective blankets and tried to sleep. For Noah, sleep did not easily come. He kept hearing every creak in the house, and that unnerved him. He listened closely to Rachel's breathing, and he figured she was asleep. But maybe she wasn't just yet.

"Hey, Rach," he whispered in the darkness.

"Yes, Noah?" she whispered back.

"Thanks for staying," he mumbled.

Rachel smiled even though the shadows covered her face so that Noah would not be able to see it. She carefully slid off the couch and lay tentatively on her side facing Noah. She grabbed his hand and twined their fingers, settling their hands on top of the blankets. He smiled at the gesture, hoping the dark would cover his blushing face.

"You're welcome, Noah," Rachel said sweetly. "Good night."

"G'night, Rachel."

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**To be continued... **

**(please remember, reading and reviewing=Love!)**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Thank you for the wonderful feedback so far! You all are awesome! Wasn't last night's episode amazing! :o) Maybe my fave so far! Anyway, I own nothing. I also have no idea if Heritage Park has a tree fort; I do know it's in Lima though. Please R&R! :o) **

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_Stay__ with me a while_  
_'Cause __you__ know I'll always __need_ _you_  
_Don't go, don't go_  
"_**Stay"**__** ~ Jon Secada

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It was one month before Noah's little sister was due to be born. Ten-and-a-half-year-old Noah Puckerman was hiding in the tree fort built in Heritage Park. From where he sat, he could see the entire playground. He looked down solemnly as other kids played with their friends. Some were sliding down the slides or climbing on the monkey bars. Some were kicking around a soccer ball or tossing a baseball to each other. Most kids were with a friend or two, but some were with their moms or dads.

Noah watched jealously as one little boy was being pushed on the swings by his father. They were laughing and having a good time. Noah could hear the little boy yelling, "Higher, Daddy! Push me higher!" He scowled and turned away from the window. He didn't want to see the other kids happy with their dads. It wasn't fair. It wasn't fair that they had dads, and his dad had to run away.

Noah didn't understand why his dad left. He had heard the yelling the night before. His dad had come home late (like usual), and before he even walked into the door all the way, Noah heard his mom say something about "that woman again." Noah didn't know what she was talking about, but from the way his dad slammed the door, Noah figured his dad was pretty angry about something.

He flinched as his mom and dad fought; he listened as he heard his mother crying about the baby. He was going to have a little sister soon, but he didn't know why his mom was crying about it. He thought she was happy to have another baby. His dad never seemed too excited, but Noah never thought too much about it. He wasn't too excited about having a little sister either, if he was really being honest.

Even before Noah's mom found out she was pregnant again, Noah's dad had started working a lot more. Now that Noah had a sister on the way, his dad was hardly ever home. He used to take Noah to the park or fishing with Finn on Saturdays, but now he was always gone away on trips. Noah growled to himself and crossed his arms stubbornly. Noah would always beg him to bring a surprise home, but he never did. He always said it was a waste of money. Noah's mom would give his dad dirty looks whenever she noticed the sadness in Noah's eyes. Then, they would spend the rest of the night yelling at each other. So, Noah stopped looking sad. He didn't want his parents to yell anymore because of him.

But last night's yelling wasn't Noah's fault. He was already in bed when it started. Still, he listened as they called each other hurtful names. He heard his dad yelling, and he caught words like "suffocating" and "my dreams are gone" and "can't be here anymore." He heard his father's loud footsteps climbing the staircase, pounding into their bedroom. Not even ten minutes later, he heard the footsteps again, this time going down the stairs. He heard the door slam once more and his mother yelling after him, "If you leave now, don't bother to come back!"

He wanted to yell at his mom for saying that. Why wouldn't she want his dad to come back? They were a family. Noah realized now how true that statement was: they _were_ a family, but they weren't one anymore. It was then that Noah promised himself that he would be a good man for his mother; they didn't need Dad. They would be just fine without him: just him, his mom, and his sister. He cried himself to sleep that night, after promising himself one more thing: he would never cry over his father again.

So, Noah sat in the tree fort alone that day, trying to block out the sounds of laughter and happy children. He just wanted to be alone. Then, he heard the yelling, "To the pirate fort, Mateys! Arrrrrggh!"

Noah groaned because he knew those voices. They belonged to his best friends Finn Hudson, Mike Chang, and Matt Rutherford. He should've known they'd be here today. They always came to the park; usually Noah would go with them too. Sometimes their other friend, Artie, would join them, but ever since the accident, it was hard for Artie to play on the playground with them. Noah hoped they wouldn't come up the tree fort. He had left the house early that morning, before they could come by and ask if he wanted to play. Today, he didn't want to play with them. He just wanted to be alone.

Noah scooted to the far edge of the fort so he could see when they climbed up the trap door. First, Finn, then Mike, followed by Matt. "We made it!" Finn cried. Then, he noticed Noah sitting in the corner. "Noah! You're here!"

"Yeah, we were looking for you this morning!" Mike exclaimed, throwing himself down beside Noah.

"This is great!" Finn yelled. "Now we have a fourth person to play four-square!" Finn then plopped himself down in front of Noah, knocking Noah's tennis shoes playfully to get his attention.

Matt seemed to be the only one to notice Noah's hardened face. "Are you okay, Noah?" he asked quietly, as he carefully sat down on the other side of Noah. Matt was always the one to check on his friends' well-beings. He was called Mama Matt a lot for it, but he didn't care. Matt simply cared for his friends.

"I want to be alone," Noah murmured.

"What? Why?" Finn asked, clearly confused why his friend didn't want to play with them.

"Because I just do!" Noah barked defensively.

The other three boys reared their heads in surprise. Noah was not the type to yell at them for no reason.

"Noah," Matt started.

"And don't call me Noah! I don't want to be called that anymore!" Noah cried. He didn't want to be called anything that reminded him of his dad. Noah had been the name his father had picked out for him. He didn't want it anymore.

"What are we supposed to call you then?" Mike asked incredulously. "Noah is your name!" he reminded Noah in a _duh_ tone.

Noah glared at Mike. He hated that Mike was right. He didn't know what his name would be if it wasn't going to be Noah. He didn't like his middle name: Ezekiel, so he didn't want to go by that. And he couldn't just change his last name either. But what could he have his friends call him?

"Call me Puck," he said defiantly. It wasn't great, but it was all he could come up with. At least it was part of his name, so his mom wouldn't get mad or sad when he told her he didn't want to be called Noah anymore. That way he wouldn't have to be Noah Puckerman. He could just be Puck, and he wouldn't have to think about his father, the one who left him, every time he heard his name.

"Okaaayyy," Finn drawled. "That could be cool, I guess." He glanced at the other two boys, who just shrugged.

"So, Puck, will you play with us now?" Mike asked eagerly.

"No," Puck said. "I _said _I want to be alone," he insisted, pulling his knees up to his chest and burying his face in the crevice.

"Are you sure you don't want to play with us, Noa-Puck?" Matt stammered, laying his hand gently on Puck's shoulder.

Puck shrugged Matt's hand from his body. "I'm sure. Just leave me alone!" he shouted. The boys jumped backed at the tone of his voice. "Please go away," he begged quietly. He sniffled, but he caught himself. No. He wasn't going to cry. He _wasn't_.

"Okay, Puck," Mike said cautiously. "We'll see you later?"

When Puck made no motion or sound, the three bewildered boys climbed down the tree fort to leave their friend alone. They had barely had time to reach the ground when Puck heard another voice join them.

"Hello boys! How are you on this beautiful afternoon?" the voice asked sweetly.

Puck scrunched his eyes shut. He knew that voice too. It belonged to one Rachel Berry. It wasn't that he didn't like Rachel; he tolerated her okay ever since that night way back when they were eight and she kept his secret about being scared. It was just that Rachel Berry liked to talk. A lot. And Puck didn't want to talk. To anyone. Especially not Rachel Berry.

"Hey Rach," Puck heard Finn say. "Whatcha doing?"

"I am going up to the tree fort to sing," she said.

Puck's ears perked up at that. He scurried to the window to see Rachel head for the rope ladder.

"Wait!" Matt said.

Puck watched as Rachel turned to face the three boys.

"Um, look, Noah is up there, and he seemed pretty upset," Mike explained. "So maybe you should just sing somewhere else."

"Oh," Rachel said thoughtfully. "Well, perhaps I could sing him a song to cheer him up. My fathers always say that music warms the soul, and since I have exceptional talent in the area of music, then I would be the best shot Noah has at warming his soul."

The three boys looked at Rachel, silently blinking their eyes, but not saying a word. Puck rolled his eyes. Just let her come up, he thought. He could get rid of her. He turned away from the window and sat down as he felt the ladder pulling as Rachel climbed up.

"Hello, Noah," she said brightly.

"Go away, Berry," he snarled.

Rachel noticed his mood immediately. He was sad about something, but he was trying to cover it up with anger. She didn't know why, but she had always been able to read Noah Puckerman.

"Not until you tell me what's wrong," Rachel bargained.

Puck stared at Rachel, trying to intimidate her. But Rachel stared right back. It almost unnerved him how creepy it was that she hadn't blinked in, like, two minutes.

"I'm not talking to you," Puck said, turning his body away from Rachel.

"Don't be stubborn, Noah," Rachel said harshly. "Something is wrong, and I'm trying to help you. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth!"

"What does that even mean?" Puck cried, whipping his head around to look at Rachel with angry eyes. "My dad left me and my mom, and you're talking about stupid horses! Who does that?" he stood up and shouted in her face. "You don't know anything about me so stop pretending like you do! Just stop! Stop talking! Stop trying to be my friend! Stop acting like you want to help me! Stop, stop, STOP!"

After saying, or rather yelling, his piece, an emotionally spent Puck slumped to the floor of the fort, turned his body away from Rachel, and shook with silent sobs. Rachel gasped as his words registered in her brain. She hadn't realized that Noah's father had left. It must have happened recently. She felt so bad for her friend, especially since she was pressuring him to talk about it.

"Oh, Noah..." she whispered. "I'm so sorry," she said quietly, keeping her place by the trap door, though she longed to hug him tightly. "I didn't know."

It was silent for a very long time before Puck finally whispered, "It's okay."

"You probably want to be alone, so I'll just go," Rachel said as she opened the trap door slowly.

Puck didn't know what to do. On one hand, he wanted to be alone; he had told the boys that much. But on the other hand, maybe he didn't want to be alone as much as he just didn't want to talk about it.

"Wait," he said suddenly, still not moving from his spot. He couldn't see Rachel, but he heard the creaking of the trap door stop. "Please stay," he whispered pitifully. "For a little while?"

He waited for her response, but none came. He heard the trap door close, and he sniffled, knowing that Rachel probably wouldn't stay after he yelled at her the way he did. Then, in a split second, Rachel was sitting next to him, gently lifting his head to lie on her lap.

She rubbed his back gently, and whispered, "Okay. I'll stay."

Puck glanced up to see Rachel smiling down at him. He managed a small smile before turning his head back to look at the wall.

After a few minutes of silence, Rachel whispered again, "Noah, is it all right if I sing you a song?"

Puck nodded silently.

And for the rest of the afternoon, Rachel softly sang any song she could think of as she brushed her fingers through Noah's shaggy hair.

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**R&R = Love :o)**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Here is the next installment! I want to thank you all for your support and feedback! You all rock! Please R&R! :o)**

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Should I stay or should I go now _  
_If I go there will be trouble _  
_An' if I stay it will be double _  
_So come on and let me know_  
"_**Should I Stay or Should I Go?" ~ The Clash

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It was her first real high school party. She wished she could say she'd been to more, but up until about a week ago, Rachel was still the social outcast of the school. Then, last week, Finn Hudson joined Glee club. Now, she was still a social outcast, but she was pretty sure with a popular guy like Finn in the club, her social stock was bound to rise. Right? After all, he invited her to this party tonight. Of course, she was hoping that, with his goofy smile and gap-toothed grin, he was asking her to the party tonight as a pseudo-date, but alas, he came with his girlfriend, Quinn Fabray, and was by her side the whole night.

So, there she was, dressed up in a black jean miniskirt and a gold and black tank top and black gladiator sandals that laced up to her knees. Her outfit was nothing like she normally wore to school, but Rachel knew that if she was going to climb the social ladder, she at least needed to fit in. Rachel walked in to Matt Rutherford's house apprehensively. She knew Finn invited her, but she was still a little nervous about attending. Scanning the crowd of people in the living room, she spotted Matt and Mike talking to some Cheerios. They caught her eye and smiled. Of all the jocks that played tricks on and threw slushies at her, Mike and Matt had never done anything. Those boys were quiet and sweet; much like they always had been when all of them were friends as kids. Before they all started high school and drifted apart. Before the boys became jocks, and she became a geek.

Rachel gave them both quick waves and flashed them a smile but quickly averted her eyes. She didn't want them to be embarrassed by her or anything. Her eyes were still down as she entered the kitchen, only to run smack dab into someone with a very solid chest. She stumbled and the stranger's arms shot out quickly to catch her by the waist before she could fall.

"Sorry," she mumbled, too embarrassed to look up.

"You okay?" a smooth, deep voice asked concernedly, his hands not moving from their spots at her hips.

Rachel's eyes flew up in surprise. "Noah?"

"Oh!" Puck jumped a little, but he recovered easily. "Hey, Berry, if you wanted my hands all over you, all you had to do was ask," he crooned with a superficial smirk.

Rachel's face contorted into a glare; she figured he would have some smart remark toward her. As if the slushies and rumors for the last year weren't enough. She rolled her eyes and gave a smirk of her own, "Well, Noah, considering the fact that I am perfectly steady on my feet, and you are the one that still has a hold on me, I'd say _you _wanted to touch _me_."

Puck chuckled at the look on her face, and he slowly lifted his hands from her waist, purposely gliding his fingers over the sliver of skin that showed between her skirt and her shirt. He made a mental note of the shiver that passed over her body at the contact. "Touché, Berry."

Rachel nervously tucked a stray hair behind her ear. She expected Puck to get out of her way so she could get some water, but he seemed perfectly content to stand there leaning on the kitchen door frame and watching her.

Puck was surprised to see Rachel Berry at a party. She looked good, almost normal, almost hot. Inwardly, he scoffed. Like this, Rachel Berry _was _hot. After Puck finished his leering, he met his eyes with hers once more. Her eyes, the ones that used to be so open and trusting were now guarded and skeptical. He hated that he had done that to her. Peer pressure is a nasty thing though. Since he and the guys walked on Varsity their freshman year, Puck felt like he had a standard to live up to. And Rachel Berry, as much as she was a part of his past, had no place in his present. That didn't mean, however, that he couldn't innocently tease her, to see exactly how much he could get away with from her.

"So," he drawled, leaning closer to her ear, "Berry, why do you insist on wearing grandma clothes when you could be rocking this look every day? With your hot little body, you could totally pull it off."

Rachel flushed instantly, and she hated that she let herself be affected by him. "Noah, you know me well enough to know that I do not care what other people think of me. I will dress how I want to," she said indignantly.

"Ahh, but that's where you're wrong, Berry," Puck said, moving yet another step closer. "Because I know you, I know that you do care what other people think. You just hate to admit it."

Rachel's jaw slacked. She couldn't believe he would say such a thing. He had no right to pretend like he knew anything about her. And just as she was about to formulate words to tell him so, he blurted out, "You know, this is the most you've talked to me in a long time."

Rachel recoiled as if she'd been slapped. _He _wanted to accuse _her _of not talking to _him_? "Well," she huffed past him, "you haven't exactly given me much of a chance, Puck."

Then, as he watched her walk into the kitchen, it was Puck's turn to flinch. In all the years they'd known one another, even through all the crap he put her through, she never pulled out the name Puck. He was always Noah to her. He didn't even try to tell himself that didn't hurt just a little.

Rachel stood in the middle of the kitchen, not knowing exactly what she was doing other than getting away from Noah. It was still surprising that the littlest things he did could fluster her so much.

"Wanna drink?" a voice broke through her thoughts.

She turned to find Brittany holding out a cup to her expectantly.

"What is it?" Rachel asked warily. She had had alcohol before, just under the supervision of her fathers on special occasions. She just wasn't comfortable drinking alcohol in social situations, especially with a bunch of underage kids who didn't even like her very much. She wondered for the fifth or eightieth time why Finn even invited her if he wasn't even going to speak to her.

"It's just Hunch Punch," Brittany shrugged.

Rachel took it hesitantly and sniffed the cup. It didn't smell like alcohol. She took a small sip. It tasted like fruit punch. It didn't even have the slightest hint of alcohol flavor. She sighed in relief. It was nice to know that Matt had at least one beverage besides water that was non-alcoholic. She drank happily, not realizing how thirsty she really was. She filled up her cup and drank it all in one large gulp. Hoping to satisfy her thirst, she filled her cup again before heading out to the living room to find someone, anyone to talk to.

Rachel smiled as Matt and Mike made their way over to her. They were sipping on beers which they set on the counter before approaching her. "Hello, boys," she greeted politely.

"Hey Rachel," Matt said. "Thanks for coming." He did his best to keep the look of question off his face, so Rachel decided to do a little clarifying.

"Finn invited me," she said over the loud music.

"Oh, gotcha," Matt nodded in understanding.

"Are you having fun?" Mike asked with a grin.

"Yes, thank you," Rachel smiled as she downed the last of her punch. Was it getting hot in the room to anyone else?

"Your cup is empty," Matt pointed out. "I'll go fill it up."

"Thank you, Matt," Rachel said, handing Matt the cup. She fanned herself as she turned to Mike who was swaying like he wanted to start dancing. He caught her staring, and she giggled loudly as he blushed.

"Wanna dance, Rach?" Mike asked, nodding to the center of the room which had been cleared for a makeshift dance floor.

Rachel looked over and saw a few couples dancing, but no one was really paying much attention. "Sure," she said, glancing toward the kitchen.

"Matt can hold your drink for a little bit," Mike winked as he gently led her by the small of her back toward to the center of the room.

Mike was one of the best dancers Rachel knew. And it wasn't just hip hop or poppin' and lockin' as Mike liked to call it. He just had a natural rhythm. It was a rhythm Rachel almost forgot he had, seeing as she hadn't seen it in a long time. Mike spun her around and wrapped his arm around her waist, guiding her hips with his. His chest was solid against her back, and she swung her arm up around his neck. To her, who had known Mike for most of their lives and felt nothing romantic toward him, there wasn't anything sensual about his movements. To Puck, who had been watching Rachel ever since she brushed past him, there was no reason in his opinion why he shouldn't just stalk over there and punch Mike for touching her like that.

Puck didn't know where the insane amount of jealousy came from, but it was there all of the sudden, coursing through his veins and he couldn't stop it. He rolled his shoulders a few times and popped his neck from side to side. He needed to stop watching them, but the sway of Rachel's hips was hypnotic. Shaking his head again, Puck headed toward the kitchen. He needed another drink.

"Here you go, Rachel," Matt said cheerfully, handing her another cup. Rachel eagerly took the cup. She still couldn't believe how thirsty she was, but she chalked it up to all the dancing.

"Is it hot in here to anyone?" she asked casually, swaying from side to side. Her head felt a little fuzzy, and she didn't know why she couldn't stand still. "Oh, Matthew," she said, stumbling into Matt's chest, "I wanted to thank you for the delicious punch you have provided your guests to imbibe this evening."

Mike and Matt looked at each other quizzically. Was Rachel Berry buzzed? They watched her as she scanned the room, at first appearing to look for someone, then just moving her eyes to roam the room nonsensically. Then, she began to sing. Loudly. Scratch the buzzed. Rachel Berry was full on drunk.

"Rachel," Mike tried to get Rachel's attention over her rendition of "Don't Cry for Me Argentina."

"Rachel!" Matt cried, earning her attention. "How many cups of that punch have you had?"

Rachel scrunched her nose as she attempted to count. "Four?"

Matt shook his head as he pried the almost empty cup from her hand. "Okay, Evita, we're cutting you off," he said, leading her to the couch.

"But I haven't consumed any alcohol," she pouted. "Only punch."

Mike chuckled as he rolled his eyes at Matt. There was no use trying to explain the concept of Hunch Punch to Rachel. At least, not now, when she wouldn't remember a thing tomorrow.

"Rachel," Mike said, "I'm going to get you some water. You gonna be okay?"

"I'll watch her," Puck said gruffly. He had been eying their conversation since Matt brought the punch to Rachel. Personally, he found it hilarious that Rachel was this loosened up. But, he also knew some of the guys that were here at this party, and they wouldn't care if Rachel was drunk or not, if you caught his drift. So, of course, he had to watch out for her. She was Rachel. Social pressures be damned, at least for tonight.

"Okay, thanks, Puck," Mike nodded, as he and Matt went to grab her some water and some toast to soak up the alcohol.

The two sat in silence for a good minute or two before Rachel turned to him and exclaimed, "Noah!" as though she just noticed he was sitting there.

"Hey, Berry," he grinned lazily.

"Let's dance," she cried excitedly, standing up in a rush and almost face-planting it in the carpet before Puck's arm shot out and caught her from falling for the second time that night.

"Berry," Puck gritted out, rolling his eyes, "you are completely smashed. You can barely stand up and walk, much less dance."

"Well, then, I guess you will be holding me up then, won't you?" she said, her voice oddly breathy. That voice did odd things to his insides. He looked down at her to see her smiling cheekily, bright eyes shining up at him.

"All right," he relented. "Let's dance."

Rachel squealed and launched herself into Puck's arms, squeezing him tightly. Her body was pressed firmly against his, and Puck inwardly groaned at what the heat of her breath on his neck was doing to his body. She slid down his body to rest her feet on the ground, but she didn't let go of the hold she had on him. He roughly grabbed her hips and hauled her to him as they moved slightly to the beat. They weren't standing still, but they weren't really dancing either. At least they were doing enough movement to keep Rachel from complaining. He watched her every move, from the way her lips moved as she silently sang along to whatever song was playing to the way her eyes fluttered closed periodically to the way her head seemed to roll around on her neck like she couldn't keep it upright. Every time she rolled her head from one side to the other, Puck got this crazy urge to kiss her. He was about to question himself when Rachel spoke up.

"Noooaaahhhh," she sang out, "you're really cute, you know that?"

"Thanks, Berry," he chuckled.

"I really like your eyes," she smiled dreamily. "They change colors depending on your moods. Did you know that, Noah?"

He did know that. He knew that because she was the one who told him that at her seventh grade birthday party.

* * *

He really wanted to play video games with Finn that day, but his mom made him go to Rachel's party. All the kids from the Jewish Community Center were invited, and Puck's mom thought it would be rude not to attend. He showed up begrudgingly and shoved a card in her face.

"Thank you for coming," she had said sweetly.

"You're, uh, welcome," he had grumbled. He shifted his weight on the balls of his feet before mumbling softly, "It's not like I wanted to be here."

"I know," she had answered quietly, "but thank you anyway."

"What? How did you-?" he had stuttered.

"You're eyes are more brown today, which I know typically means you are upset. I deduced that, since your mother practically dragged you from the car, you most likely didn't want to be here," she had reasoned.

He murmured an apology before running off to find a soda. But he never forgot her comment about his eyes.

* * *

"Yeah, I did know that, Berry," he said, quickly bringing himself back into the moment.

"You know, your arms are very lovely, Noah," she said suddenly, wrapping her tiny fingers around his biceps.

Puck smirked as he flexed his muscles a little for her. "Yeah, the guns are pretty badass if I do say so," he boasted.

Rachel giggled as she idly ran her fingers up and down his arms. Puck was pretty sure she had absolutely no idea what she was doing to him.

"And your lips," she sighed. "They look really kissable. Are they, Noah?"

Puck bit back another groan, because seriously? She couldn't just say those things in a room full of people and not expect him to want to maul her right then and there. And there was really no good way to answer that comment.

Thankfully (or maybe not), she answered it for him, by covering his mouth with hers. And with Rachel Berry, there was no small build. She didn't work up to the main event; she went right for it. She used the element of surprise to dart her tongue into his mouth, causing them both to moan involuntarily. Even through the fruit punch, he could tell she tasted really good, like cinnamon and something else he couldn't place. She toyed with the hairs on the nape of his neck as she ran her tongue across the roof of his mouth. Puck grabbed her closer to him after that totally hot and totally unexpected move.

They broke for air, and Rachel grinned like she had accomplished some big task. "You do," she breathed.

"Do what?" he whispered gutturally.

"You. Have. Very. Kissable. Lips," she answered, punctuating each word with a lingering kiss to his mouth.

Puck didn't know what he was doing, but he grabbed Rachel's hand and pulled her upstairs. If they were going to make out (which he hoped they would be doing for a little while longer), he didn't want to do it in the middle of Matt's living room. So, he led her to Matt's brother's room. Matt's brother had been away at college for the last two years, and everyone who had ever attended a party at Matt's knew that Puck had dibs on that room for any of his personal conquests. Not that Rachel Berry was a conquest (she _wasn't_), but he at least knew if things were going to get hot between them, at least they'd have privacy.

He barely had time to shut and lock the door before she was on him again, assaulting his lips, his neck, his jaw, anything she could reach with her mouth. And it's not like Puck was complaining. He hadn't realized Rachel was that good of a kisser. He dismissed the jealous feeling that rose up in him at the thought of who it was that had taught her some of the tricks she was pulling out. But, he told himself not to think about it too much, because hot girl plus kissing plus touching plus over-thinking did not a sexy mood make.

Just as he was threading his fingers through her impossibly soft hair, the back of his knees hit the bed. He stumbled as she pushed him down onto the comforter with a sly grin on her face. Her cheeks were flushed pink, and her lips were swollen, and her eyes were both bright from the alcohol and dark with desire. And all Puck wanted to do at that moment was kiss her again and again (and if he just happened to get to second base, then so be it). Here she was pushing him further up the bed, which he obviously didn't have a problem with.

Then, she straddled him, and warning bells went off in his mind. _No, Puckerman, she's obviously drunk. She doesn't want this_, his brain screamed at him. But, his body couldn't help but respond when she leaned him back, making him lie down on the bed as she sat above him. Then, she slowly lifted his shirt inch by inch, kissing his newly exposed skin as she did. Puck was pretty sure he'd never experienced something so simple yet so intimate and even erotic. By the time she reached his neck and eased his arms through each hole of his shirt while caressing his chest muscles, his breathing was shallow at best. All function ceasing from his brain, Puck pulled his shirt all the way off, and as he did, he captured Rachel's lips and deftly flipped her so she was lying on the bed beneath him.

"Let me return the favor," he grinned wickedly.

Hesitation flashed in her eyes for just a second, but it was gone so fast, he wasn't sure if he'd imagined it or not. Rachel smiled and nodded, craning her neck to kiss his bare shoulder. He wasn't called a sex shark for nothing. He moved painfully slow, inching her shirt up little by little, revealing soft skin as he kissed his way to the edge of her bra. The horny teenage boy part of him was stoked about nearing the promised land that was this beautiful girl's boobs, but there was a part of him that was trying to mature that told him he wasn't sure if this was what she really wanted. As his fingers skimmed the underside of her covered breast, Rachel froze and tensed up immediately. That is when he confirmed what he feared (and really knew) the whole time: she was not ready.

"Rachel?" he asked, lips at her toned stomach, but eyes on her face.

Rachel gulped. She didn't know how she had let it get as far as she did, and Puck was probably going to hate her for it, but she just couldn't. "I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I can't. I'm not-This isn't a good idea," she whispered.

Surprisingly, Puck wasn't as ticked off as he might've been with any other girl. He didn't know if it was because he knew it was coming or because of who it was. "It's okay," he admitted. He sat up and eased her shirt back down.

"Really?" she asked, obviously relieved.

"Really," he nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Suddenly, she bolted upright from her slumped place at the headboard. "Oh my gosh, I'm such a tease!" she whined.

"No, you aren't," Puck was quick to reassure.

Rachel raised a skeptical eyebrow at him and pursed her lips.

"Okay, well maybe a little," he relented, winking at her.

Rachel groaned and buried her face in her hands. She stayed that way for a second before propelling her body off the bed in a hurry. She had to get out; she was so embarrassed. "I should leave," she panicked. "I am _so _sorry. I'm so-I'm so embarrassed," she explained rushing for the door.

Puck didn't want her to go. One, he wasn't going to let her drive home when she was clearly not sober enough to do so, and two, there was no reason for her to be embarrassed and he needed her to see that. And three, he just really wanted (no, needed) her to stay. "No, Rach, don't go," he called. She stopped at the door but didn't turn around. He walked up behind her so that he was close enough to whisper in her ear. "Look, Rachel, I'm not letting you drive in this condition, and I'm definitely not letting you sleep downstairs with some random people, including guys I don't even trust."

"Well..." she hesitated.

"Rach..." he whispered tenderly. "Just stay. Please?"

Rachel turned to look him dead in the eyes and tried to focus, which was particularly hard when her head was still a little fuzzy. She searched him for any reason not to stay, but she found him to be serious about it (like she expected). "Okay," was all she said.

As he helped her unlace her shoes and tucked her into bed, he offered, "I'll even sleep on the floor, if you want me to."

"No, that's all right. You can sleep here," she said softly. She turned slightly to look at him and saw the hesitation in his eyes. She reached over and grabbed his arm, pulling him gently onto the bed to curl up behind her. "It's fine," she whispered.

Puck fell asleep spooning the last girl he honestly thought he would be with that night, but for some reason it felt so right.

The next morning, he got up slowly so as not to wake Rachel, who was still sleeping peacefully beside him. The light came through the window and shone in her face, causing her to unconsciously shift away from it so he pulled the blinds to darken the room. If her hangover was going to be anything like his had been in the past, she'd need all the sleep she could get. He stood at the edge of the bed, silently watching her sleep. He wasn't trying to be some creeper; she just looked so sweet and innocent with her hair splayed out over the pillow and her legs curled up to her chest as though she enjoyed sleeping in a tight, little ball. He chuckled softly as he left the room, making his way downstairs to grab a water bottle without disturbing the random people passed out in the living room.

On his way back upstairs, he stopped in Matt's bathroom. He'd been to enough parties at Matt's to know where to find the aspirin. He set the pills and the water on the nightstand, and still Rachel slept soundly. He wanted to wait for her to wake up, but he knew his sister would need to be picked up from her friend's house soon. Besides, it was silly to stay. She probably wouldn't remember a thing about last night (even though he would probably never forget it), and it would freak her out even more if she woke up with him staring at her. She would probably think the worst of the situation and assume she had done something she regretted, and Puck couldn't have her think that she had slept with a Lima loser like himself. He had been a gentleman last night, but he wasn't going to stick around to prove it.

He didn't know what last night was other than pretty awesome. Being there with her like that, he couldn't describe it exactly. It was like all the years of their convoluted past had trumped his actions toward her in the present. Like their problems they had with one another didn't exist. Like they were living back in time. Last night, he was just Noah, and she was just Rachel.

Puck sighed and moved to the side of the bed she had curled up to. He lightly brushed her hair out of her face, and when she didn't make a move to wake up, he took another chance and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. She sighed softly at the contact, but her deep, steady breaths told Puck she wasn't really awake yet.

As he opened the bedroom door to leave, he could have sworn he heard Rachel quietly, almost inaudibly, mumble, "Thank you, Noah."

* * *

**Please remember Reviews = Love :o)**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: So sorry for the long wait for this next chapter. Thank you for being patient. :o) In other news, *shameless plug alert* my main multi-chapter fic "Long Time Coming" has been nominated for Best Work in Progress for the 2010 Glee Awards! I am so honored and excited to be nominated alongside some amazing writers and friends. If you should feel so inclined, I'd be grateful for your vote! You can do so over at the Glee Awards site: community . livejournal . com / gleeawards (take out spaces)! Or you can e-mail your vote to ****gleeawards (at) gmail . com. Thanks so much! *End shameless plug!* Thanks for reading and please review! :o)  
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* * *

Now that the pain is done,_  
_No need to be afraid._  
_We don't have time to waste,_  
_Just tell me that you'll __stay__.  
**"Stay**__**" ~ Nick **__**Jonas**__** and the Administration

* * *

**_

It is the day all hell breaks loose (also known as the day Babygate flies wide open, which is _also _known as the day Puck loses his best friend and the chance to be a dad to his daughter all in one fell swoop).

He didn't blame Rachel for saying anything. The truth needed to be said. He _wanted _the truth to be said way back when Quinn first told him she was pregnant. All Rachel did was do what he had wanted to do for a long time. So, no, he didn't blame her.

He saw the look in her eyes as they passed in the hallway. It was like a magnet pulled them together. They locked eyes quickly and broke the contact just as quickly. But the message was clear. They were both trying to apologize—her for telling his secret and him for having the secret to tell in the first place. Of all people, he didn't want Rachel to be disappointed in him. And in that fleeting moment they shared, he didn't think she was mad or disappointed; she was just sorry for the way things went down. He was sorry too.

After school, Puck sat on the bed of his truck watching everyone get into their respective cars and drive away. He watched as Matt and Mike fist-bumped, Brittany and Santana linked pinkies, Kurt and Mercedes air kissed, and Tina and Artie really kissed. Huh. He totally didn't see that one coming. Where had he been? Oh, right, filled with guilt and trying to take care of Quinn behind everyone's back. Puck continued to watch as Finn brushed past Quinn and Rachel, who was helping his baby mama to her car. He'd have to thank her later for that. Rachel glanced up at that moment and saw him looking at her, and Puck averted his eyes. Suddenly, that hangnail on his thumb was much more interesting than it had been two seconds ago.

The next thing he knew, Puck felt the weight of his tailgate shift a little. He looked up to find Rachel struggling to hop up beside him. She was just tiny enough that she didn't quite have the balance to prop herself up, and watching her try made Puck chuckle.

Rachel stopped hopping and glared at him. "You know, you could help me," she pointed out.

"It's more fun this way," he smirked, hissing when the movement made his bruised eye pulsate.

"Well, it is clear that my diminutive size makes finding the leverage needed to boost myself up impossible," she droned on.

Puck rolled his eyes and hopped down to stand close to Rachel. She looked up at him with an unreadable expression in her eyes. Puck didn't have the energy to decipher it so he gently grabbed Rachel by the waist and plopped her down on the tailgate and then lobbed himself back up beside her.

"There. Now you're up," he grunted.

"Thank you," she said politely.

"Welcome," he shrugged.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Puck couldn't help but wonder why she was even here. He thought for sure she'd be comforting Finn right about now. He would've made some snarky remark about it if she hadn't been the only one of his friends (Yeah, yeah, she was his friend. Shut up.) to stay with him. Besides, she might have slugged him, and even being a stud, he didn't really feel like getting punched more than once in a day.

"Oh!" Rachel piped up, as if she just realized why she was sitting there. "I brought you some pain relievers and a bottle of water." She rummaged in her bag, producing said items and placing them in Puck's calloused hands.

Puck's chest tightened involuntarily at the simple gesture. "Uh, thanks," he mumbled, taking the pills and swallowing them down with a long gulp of cold water.

"Are you okay?" Rachel asked quietly.

"Yeah," he answered noncommittally.

"Don't lie to me, Noah," she admonished gently.

Puck resisted the urge to chuckle. He never could get away with lying to her. When they were younger and they would play Go Fish, she'd leave to get more snacks and make him promise not to look at her cards. He always did, and when she came back, she would always ask him if he had peeked or not. He didn't know what it was about the look she gave him, but he could never lie after seeing it. It was like some super magic you-better-not-lie-or-I'll-be-very-disappointed-in-you look. Puck figured he'd rather tell the truth, because she was never mad that he cheated and looked at her cards. But if he'd lied about it? He shuddered to think what would've happened.

"Fine," he relented. "No, I'm not okay. But you wouldn't be either if your best friend of eleven years just pummeled your face in and basically wrote you out of his life completely," Puck spat, growing more irritated.

"No, I suppose I wouldn't be fine," Rachel agreed quietly, willing herself not to think about how _she _felt freshman year when _her _best friend basically wrote her out of his life, and while he didn't pummel her face in, he did cover them in slushies.

"Why are you here?" he blurted out.

The flash of hurt in Rachel's eyes was enough to make him regret his words immediately. He hadn't meant to sound so accusing.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry, but I guess my apology is not wanted, so I'll just be leaving," she said, as she attempted to scoot down gracefully without making her short skirt ride up in the back. Her efforts were in vain, because Puck got a quick eyeful of her royal blue boy shorts. She must have felt his eyes on her because she whipped around, pinning her skirt down with her arms and glared at him, looking positively scandalized.

Puck couldn't help waggling his eyebrows at her. "Nice undies, Berry," he drawled. It was just too easy to rile her up sometimes.

Rachel huffed and crossed her arms. "You could have helped me down," she said sourly.

"You want my help up. You want my help down. Geez, Berry, make up your mind, will ya?" he winked.

Rachel's eyes narrowed. He was positively infuriating somethings, and the worst part was that he knew exactly what buttons of hers he could push to get the best responses. However, she was not going to allow him to fluster her. She steeled her shoulders and took a deep breath. Then, she looked up at him and spoke sincerely, "Noah, I truly do apologize for telling your secret. I did not thoroughly consider the repercussions of my actions."

Puck honestly didn't expect an apology from her. They were a lot alike in that sense; neither had ever been good at apologizing because neither was ever any good at admitting he or she was in the wrong.

"You gonna make me some of those kickass 'I'm sorry' cookies?" he teased, deflecting her apology.

Rachel blinked curiously. "I hadn't thought about that, but if it would make you feel better, I could bring you some Monday. After all, it is the least I can do," she said, rambling on about how she could go to the grocery store after her dance class. Puck had to stop her before she had an aneurysm from talking so fast.

"Rach, I was kidding about the cookies," he chuckled.

"Oh," she said quietly, and they were back to an awkward silence. "I best be going. I have ballet tonight," she stated.

Puck nodded and hopped down to walk her to her car. Once they were there, she placed her hand on his shoulder. He looked at it and then swung his gaze to her face.

"Are you really okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said.

He was lying.

She knew it.

But she nodded, got in her car, and drove off anyway. She couldn't help him if he didn't want it.

* * *

That night after ballet, Rachel took the long way home. She just needed to clear her head after all the events that had taken place today. (It had _nothing _to do with the fact that the long route home took her by Noah's house.) She justified her reasoning by telling herself she would just check out her old house and see if the new owners had kept up her daddy's rose bushes. She hadn't been back since they moved freshman year when Grandma Berry died and they moved into her house. Her daddy didn't feel right about selling the home he grew up in, so they just moved in, leaving their house on the pretty cul-de-sac behind. (At the time, Rachel didn't care since Noah had stopped talking to her at school; it was better to not have to see him at home too.)

As Rachel neared her old street, she noticed that Puck's truck was not in the driveway and all the lights were off in the house. She didn't know why, but she was worried for him. She hoped he wasn't out making bad decisions (of course, what decision right now could be worse than the one that involved sex and his best friend's girlfriend?). Shaking the feeling that she needed to find him, Rachel resolved to just go home. If Puck wanted to talk, she hoped he'd find her.

On her way home, her slight psychic feeling only got stronger, and Rachel instinctively pulled into Heritage Park. She didn't see Puck's truck, but for some reason, she thought he was there. She walked carefully through the surprisingly well-lit playground. 'Rachel, you are an idiot,' she silently cursed herself, 'there could be a mugger out here waiting for the prime target such as yourself.' When, she realized she wasn't looking around and being wary of her surroundings, she looked up quickly. That's when she saw him. He was slumped against the trunk of the tree that held their old fort. His eyes were closed, and he looked miserable.

Rachel quietly made her way toward Puck, her eyes taking in his defeated form and the near empty Jack Daniels bottle beside him. Something in her heart broke just then, and she bit back a sob at seeing her friend (yes, they were still friends in her eyes) so lost. As she got closer, she noticed his left arm was cut and trickling blood onto his clothes. She gasped, and Puck's eyes flew open. He tried with all his might to focus on the figure before him. He had just been thinking about Rachel Berry and how she would have never let him get this too far gone. If only he hadn't shut her out of his life. If only he hadn't been so stupid. Then, his alcohol-drenched brain processed who the figure was. Rachel. She was here.

"You're here," he breathed, slightly marveled at the fact she was actually standing in front of him.

"You're bleeding," she pointed out, squatting down beside him and inspecting his arm.

"Eh," Puck shrugged. "It doesn't hurt." (He's lying of course; it hurts like hell but he's not going to tell her that.) He gasped sharply when she pulled out a cleansing wipe from her behemoth bag and dabbed it against the gash on his arm.

"What did you do, Noah?" Rachel asked quietly.

"I tried to climb up to the old fort," he answered nonchalantly. "It didn't work."

"While intoxicated?" Rachel clarified.

"Well, I'm not really drunk now. It's wearing off, and now I just feel like crap," he groaned.

"Noah," she began to admonish him, but he cut her off with another irritated moan.

"Berry, can you just not lecture me right now?" Puck begged. "My head is already pounding. I don't need to try to decipher your big vocabulary words too."

Rachel's mouth snapped shut at his words. She wasn't going to lecture him. Well, she may have been thinking about it.

"Noah, the cut on your arm is pretty deep," she reasoned. "I think you might need stitches."

"I'm fine," he insisted, trying to push himself off the ground.

"Noah," she tried once more, her hand attempting to hold him in place.

Puck gritted his teeth and tried not to lash out at the one person who was taking the time to help him.

"Can't you just put a band-aid on it and be done with it?" he snapped exasperatedly. "I can't go to the hospital like this."

Rachel nodded even though he wasn't looking at her. She simply pulled out three large bandages from her emergency kit. She realized once she got all the dried blood off that the cut was not as deep as she previously though. Then, she took out some antibiotic ointment and rubbed some on the cut. She blew on it, knowing the ointment had a tendency to make the skin burn. Puck repressed the urge to shiver, at the feel of her warm breath on his skin or from the pain of the cut he wasn't sure. Rachel then took the bandages and placed them gently over the wound. She kept her tiny hand on his arm, Puck reached over to grab her hand in his. Their eyes locked, and Puck couldn't help but notice the way the moonlight shone delicately on Rachel's face. He wanted to tell her how pretty she was just then, but the words died in his throat when Rachel broke eye contact and nervously raked her fingers through her hair.

"Come on, Noah. I'll take you home," she said, slowly standing up and holding her hand out for him to take.

Puck chuckled, knowing she wasn't strong enough to pull him off the ground if she tried. Thankfully, he wasn't drunk enough to walk, but he was still pretty buzzed.

"I can't go home like this," he confessed quietly. "Mom will throw a fit."

Rachel considered his words, understanding how true they were. "You can stay at my house," she offered.

Puck silently took in her words. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Rachel shrugged and gave him a small smile. "My fathers are out of town," she said simply.

That didn't exactly answer his question, but he decided it was better than her revoking her offer, so he took it.

She grabbed his hand and led him to her car. His head was splitting so he allowed her to help him buckle his seatbelt, and his eyes slid shut as she drove to her house. He was halfway asleep when the car rolled to a stop.

"Noah," she called softly, patting him on the shoulder to wake him up.

"I'm up," he mumbled, then rolled his head back on the seat, causing Rachel to giggle.

"Noah," she chuckled. "Let's get you inside. You'll feel much more comfortable in a bed." Then, not even waiting for him, she got out of the car and walked up to her house.

Puck groaned as he unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the door. He trudged up the front porch and into the house before he realized he'd never been in Rachel's new house. It was bigger than the old one on his street. He was looking around dumbly, when Rachel appeared at the top of the steps holding a t-shirt and sweatpants.

"Would you like to come upstairs, Noah?" she asked cheekily.

It was on the tip of Puck's tongue to turn her statement into an innuendo, but he refrained only because she had been so cool to him today. He didn't feel like screwing that up just yet.

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled. "You could help me," he teased, echoing her words from earlier today.

"It's more fun this way," she shot his words right back at him, her eyes dancing. Puck smirked as he slowly made his way up the staircase.

"Here," she said, handing him the clothes. "These should fit. The bathroom is right there; I'll just go make the guest bed for you."

Puck nodded mutely as he turned down the hall to the bathroom. He changed as quickly as his aching body would allow him (which was actually very slowly) and then he leaned on the counter to look in the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot, and there were dark circles the size of Texas underneath each socket. His head felt like a jackhammer was beating in his skull. Pulling a weary hand down the side of his face, Puck groaned. He just needed a pillow and a blanket so he could just forget this day ever happened. (The only problem was that he couldn't just forget his life was forever different now.)

"Noah? Are you okay?" Rachel called from down the hall.

"Yeah, I'm coming," he said as he opened the door and crept toward the room Rachel indicated as the guestroom.

Rachel was fluffing a pillow when Puck walked in, scratching his head resignedly.

"Here you go," she chirped as she led him to lie down on the bed and covered him with a blanket.

Puck allowed himself to sink into the pillow as he sighed contentedly. He closed his eyes, but he felt Rachel pulling on the blankets, trying to make him feel at ease. He didn't even have the energy to tell her everything was comfortable enough for him to fall asleep right then and there.

"You're always taking care of me..." he mumbled tiredly.

Rachel stopped adjusting the blankets and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at Puck. He had that crooked smile on his face, and she couldn't help but smile back. Then, he chuckled, shaking the bed underneath them.

"It's kind of like that time when I had my tonsils taken out," he laughed, "and you made me a milkshake even though you swore it would affect my vocal chords."

Rachel laughed, remembering how much of a baby he was at eleven years old. It was the summer before sixth grade, and Puck had had strep throat three times in the span of several months. So the doctors took out his tonsils, and of course, he threw a big fit. But, he milked the recovery time for all it was worth.

"I remember," Rachel said, shaking her head. "You told me that if a doctor hacking away at your throat wasn't going to damage your singing voice, then a little chocolate ice cream wouldn't hurt either."

Puck sighed again, smiling at the memory. "Like I said, you always take care of me," he said again, this time more seriously.

He was looking at her now with sober eyes, and she knew what he was trying to say. She didn't know what she was supposed to say back. It wasn't a comment to say "thank you" to, and since he didn't say "thank you" to her either, she couldn't very well say "you're welcome." So, Rachel did the one thing she felt she could do. She smiled down at him and cupped her hand tenderly to his face and caressed her thumb across his cheekbone. His eyes fluttered closed as he instinctively leaned into her touch. Rachel swallowed thickly. She had to get out of the room now before she did something stupid like kiss him.

She straightened her posture but before she could move away from the bed, his arm shot out to grab her loosely by the wrist. She glanced at it, wondering if he felt the same heat she did.

"Will you stay in here tonight, Rachel?" he asked quietly. "Please?"

Rachel swallowed again, gulping audibly. "Noah, I-"

"Rachel," he interrupted. Then, he stopped. He didn't have anything else to say; there was no reason for her to stay. Just that he wanted (needed) her to stay. "Please," he whispered brokenly.

Rachel stared compassionately at the boy in front of her. Slowly, she nodded and climbed into bed, snuggling under the covers. They were both lying on their backs, shifting their weight while trying to get comfortable.

"Scoot over," she giggled, bumping his side from taking up the whole middle of the bed.

He laughed quietly and moved to one side of the bed, turning to face Rachel in the process. She smiled as she turned on her side to face him. Her hand lightly grazed his bandaged arm.

"Feel any better?" she whispered.

"Yeah. Thanks, Rach," he sighed before he drifted off to a somewhat contented sleep.

* * *

**AN2: To be continued...**

** Remember reading and reviewing = Love! ;o)**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: And thus the conclusion of Stay with Me. It's funny b/c I actually wrote this chapter first, and the story idea stemmed from it. Anyway, thank you SO much for reading and all of your support! My readers are the best! Please read and review! :o) Love you guys!

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**

_Stay__ with me_  
_Don't let me go_  
_'Cause I can't be without you_  
_Just stay with me_  
_And hold me close  
Because I've built my world around you_  
_And I don't wanna know what it's like without you_  
_So stay with me_  
_Just stay with me_  
"_**Stay with Me" ~ Danity**_ _**Kay

* * *

**_

It was an unusually cold March afternoon. Puck was thrashing about his room. He had to get out. There was nothing to keep him in Ohio anymore. He was tired of being second best. He was tired of not being enough. He was not going to be a Lima Loser anymore. He had tried to convince Quinn to let him help with the baby, but even after the truth came out, she told him she wanted to go it alone. He couldn't stand the way those words had hurt him.

He'd passed Berry in the hallway that day on his way to talk to Quinn, and there was still some spark between them that he couldn't deny. He didn't know why, but he'd never really gotten over Rachel. They had dated for a week, but she had impacted him in many ways. She had this enormous faith in him that he didn't even have for himself. Still, she was in love with Finn. It didn't matter that Finn had yet to do anything about it since his break-up with Quinn. It didn't matter that he caught Rachel staring his way instead of at the tall, gangly teen on more than one occasion. He didn't know what to make of that, but he figured it was just pity. It hurt too much to hope that it was more than that.

She was there for him that evening after Quinn had shot him down, like so many times before. No questions asked. After that moment of weakness he'd shared with her, he figured things would change, and they did. They talked more in social situations and she offered to be his friend which he hesitantly agreed to. She'd share her homemade cookies, and he'd make jokes. He'd come to remember why he'd asked her out in the first place; in the end, it had little to do with his erroneous "message from God." It slowly became more than that. She was passionate, smart, beautiful, and loyal. If he didn't feel like such a loser all the time, he'd want to make her his girl. But Rachel deserved better.

Puck sat on his bed, thinking about Rachel. Their paths had crossed many times over the years. Somehow, it always came back to her. Puck wasn't sure why this girl was so prominent in the most important moments of his life, but if his feelings held any indication, then he knew she was supposed to be there. Sure, he was grateful for her; she was the only one there for him. But, to him, it wasn't enough. He couldn't hold her back. He knew he had to leave, had to get out. Puck had said millions of times that he didn't want to be like his father…but yet, he was leaving. Just. Like. Him.

Pushing that thought aside, he grabbed some duffel bags and stuffed clothes in them. He grabbed some toiletries and his iPod. He checked his wallet; he'd need some cash before hitting the road, but he could always stop at an ATM. He'd need gas too; he wasn't sure where he was headed, and he'd rather wander aimlessly on a full tank of gas. Being abnormally sentimental, he grabbed some pictures of his mom and sister, the one of the Glee kids at Sectionals, and the snapshot of him and Rachel taken during the brief week they dated. He hoped once he was gone, she wouldn't forget about him. He wouldn't forget her. Sighing, he bounded down the stairs.

It was now or never. He was going to make it out of there. Then, he walked out the front door and saw her. What was with her sixth sense? Had she sensed that he was pulling away, that he was leaving? And even then, why was she here?

Rachel stood at his driveway. The wind whipped her hair around her face, and she shivered. She had no coat, and even in the low-forty-degree weather, she insisted on wearing skirts. He longed to go to her and hold her, but he couldn't risk it tearing his heart out again. Slowly, he made his way to her, stuffing his hands in his pockets, fighting the urge to touch her. He wanted to ask her why she was here and how she knew, but he didn't quite have the words. His questioning, hazel eyes bore into her confused, chocolate ones.

"Don't go," she whispered, eyes pleading with him.

"Why should I stay?" he growled, feeling angry all of the sudden. "Give me one good reason."

She bit her lip, and he saw she was conflicted. For the first time in sixteen years, Rachel Berry looked speechless. Puck honestly didn't know what was going on in that pretty little head of hers. He expected her to say _Quinn_,_ the baby_, _school_, _Glee_, _your responsibilities_, _your mom_, anything.

Anything but what she said.

"I love you."

He looked at her as if she had grown three heads. Had he heard her right? Instinctively, he took a step toward her. She grabbed one of his large hands and held it between her smaller ones.

"You have to stay. Please stay, Noah," she begged. "I don't know what I'll–"

Her words were cut off when his lips crashed forcefully into hers. He gently wrenched his hand free from hers in order to thread it through her long brown locks as he slid his other arm around her waist, pulling her close. Her hands were trapped against his chest for a second before they traveled up his pectoral muscles to his shoulders to clasp behind his neck. His tongue slipped across her bottom lip, begging for entrance into the hot, but sweet, caverns of her mouth.

She sighed as she allowed him to explore her mouth. Rachel eagerly returned the kiss she had waited so long to taste again. This boy couldn't leave, because if he did, he'd be taking her heart with him.

When she broke the kiss, they were both panting, and Puck rested his chin on the top of her head and kept his hands at her hips, not willing to break his hold on her. She moved her arms to settle around his waist. She squeezed him tightly and buried her head into his chest.

"Rachel…" he whispered.

He felt her shake her head into his chest; he tightened his arms around her tiny frame. He could feel the edges of his heart slowly being sewn back together after her admission of love. He kissed the top of her head once more as she shifted her head to the side so that she could speak.

"Please say you'll stay, Noah. Please. Don't leave me," she whimpered.

When she looked up at him, she noticed his eyes mirrored hers, glassy from unshed tears, but also full of love. He cupped her face with his hands and, without breaking eye contact, he pressed a gentle, lingering kiss to her lips.

"I'll stay."

* * *

_So take my hand and I won't look back_  
_Though I've lived tossed along these waves_  
_I will stay_  
_**"**__**Satisfy" ~ Vedera **_


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